Parish councillors agreed to back a plan to turn Haworth’s retained fire station into a community-run safety hub for the Worth Valley.

The building will close as a retained fire station at the end of this year. But a campaign is underway to keep the premises open as an emergency centre, involving the creation of a volunteer-run service that would be trained in fire prevention. The building would also become a base for neighbourhood policing and for Calderdale Hill Rescue Service.

Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council members voted to support this model at their annual meeting last week.

Chairman, Coun John Huxley, said: “It’s now down to Oxenhope Parish Council and Keighley Town Council to decide on whether they will participate.

“If this goes ahead, we would be able to use the fire station for two years in return for a peppercorn rent. Fire and Rescue would help us with training volunteers and provide equipment for fire prevention.

“Our own council has given a commitment to take part in this, and the hard work to make sure it is achievable will begin after December 31.

“We’d have two years to see if this can be established and can be sustainable. We have to be realistic.”